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Alonso Castillo / Reuters, file
Relatives pray beside a coffin containing the body of 16-year-old Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez during his funeral in Nogales, Mexico, on Oct. 14. A U.S. Border Patrol agent fired at suspected drug smugglers across the border into Mexico late Oct. 10, and the teen was hit seven times, an autopsy showed.
A Mexican teenager killed when the U.S. Border Patrol opened fire on a group of rock throwers in Mexico last year was shot at least seven times from behind, an autopsy by Mexican authorities showed.
Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez, 16, was shot as agents fired into Nogales, Mexico, after responding to reports of drug trafficking on Oct 10.
An attorney for the Elena Rodriguez family, Luis F. Parra, released a copy of the Mexican medical examiner's report on Thursday.
The autopsy was conducted several hours after the shooting. It found that the teen had been struck in the head, neck and body by at least seven bullets fired from behind him. It described several other bullet injuries, some of which may have been exit wounds.
Following the shooting, Mexican authorities condemned the U.S. Border Patrol's use of lethal force and called for a timely and transparent investigation.
In a written statement, the Border Patrol said the incident began shortly before midnight on October 10 when agents responded to reports of two suspected smugglers, who they watched drop drugs on the Arizona side of the border.
The smugglers then fled back across the border into Mexico and "began assaulting the agents with rocks." An unnamed agent opened fire after the suspects refused orders to stop, the patrol said.
News pictures taken shortly after the October shooting showed Elena Rodriguez' apparently lifeless body face down on the sidewalk a few yards south of the border fence, which consists of parallel steel barriers.
Alonso Castillo / Reuters, file
A cross is seen at the U.S.-Mexico border near the site where Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez was found dead.
The FBI has been leading the investigation into the shooting. A spokesman for the agency's Phoenix division declined on Thursday to comment on the autopsy or the continuing investigation.
Parra did not immediately respond to a request on Thursday for comment on the autopsy's findings.
Elena Rodriguez was the second Mexican teenager killed in a clash with the Border Patrol in the Mexican border city in less than two years. In January 2011, an agent fired into Mexico, killing 17-year-old Ramses Barron of Nogales.
The Elena Rodriguez shooting came more than a week after a Border Patrol agent was shot dead near the border in an apparent friendly fire incident.
Arizona is on a major route for Mexican smuggling networks hauling drugs and illegal immigrants to the United States, and running guns and cash profits back south to Mexico.
Related:
Border Patrol shoots Mexican man from across border
Arizona ranchers demand security at the border
Sources: Friendly Fire killed Border Patrol agent
Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.
Leave a Comment:
Funny how often the media reports on the "poor Mexican people that are killed by our evil Border Patrol Agents" yet rarely reports on the US Citizens who fall victim to Mexican illegals and/or Mexican cartel members.
But there's no Media Bias...right?
Dovetails nicely with the Demosocialist stance on gun control. Even our Border Patrol agents will now be viewed as unworthy to carry such a weapon.
This is not right..I don't care how one feels about illegal immigration..one way or the other.
What isn't right? The smuggling of narcotics into the US, or the attacking of Border Patrol Agents when approached?
US should post 1 mile of the border as no mans land and order anyone caught there shot on sight.
We are being invaded and not acceptable.
Just look at Korea, they have a 10 mile no mans land. I agree it should be the same here. But when you have the Mexican Government, in bed with the Cartel, do you really think they would go for that. Now, tell me why isn't Mexico at the border with their military stopping the Cartel? Why is it that Mexico wants the U.S. to bear the full financial and moral responsibility while this Catholic Nation that is a joke, sits on their butts and complain. Mexico you don't like what happens at the border then you do something.
The people trying to cross the border with drugs had better look for Barack "the Drone" Obama.......
Obama won't "drone" the folks who elected him, no matter how many laws they break.
This is only one drug dealer. Remember E. Holder caused the death of over three hundred with his "Fast and Furious" gun running crime and got a Executive pass by Obama. What's new ?
I read these comments and am so sad. A border patrol man was killed earlier by "friendly fire." That means another border patrol killed him...friendly fire means the fire came from "a friend." This young man was killed with racist, gun-happy, sinful fire. There is a difference. And I bet half of these posters take drugs. I am an American who is not afraid to honor life...no matter the country. I wish everybody would just go back from where they came...Germans to Germany; English to England, etc. That would leave only native Americans like the Apache. But I am an American like all those others who were once immigrants. I love my country and her ideals which has no room for such barbaric acts of murder.
Pretty Woman
You live here freely because of the actions of men like those border patrol agents. Your extreme naivety is a shame.
That poor ignorant criminal kid may not have needed to die but this isn't some Hollywood movie where the BP agent can shoot the rock out of his hand from 300 yards. Real bullets kill you, really.
You don't live on the border like I do, you don't understand the war zone taking place here. Yes, it is sad the boy got killed but they should not mess with armed agents, that's just suicide.
I wish everyone would go back to where they came from as well...
Lets start with 11.5 million mexicans.
Come to the border and spend a week a month a year or years like I have. When I lived in NJ it was WAY easier to pass judgement......now here 12 miles from Reynosa, next to McAllen I have EXPERIENCED a much different life.....if you do not live here you have NO IDEA what goes on at the Border. Any city close to the Border be it here in TX or Arizona is a God awful place to be......the local papers are filled daily with crimes commited by MEXICAN NATIONALS.......so walk a mile on the shoes of the people who live here and then come back with a informed comment. Living here you are not even sure that you are in the United States. Mexcio is incapable of cleaning up it's own act. That will never happen. I say shut the border down, but that will never happen either. What we are experiencing down here is coming to a city near you.....just wait!
If you smuggle drugs that's the price, don't want to hear it .Glad the border agent is ok.
Hey, you know what? If you play in the shark tank you might get eaten! It's about time Mexico gets a taste of their own medicine. Poor innocent Mexicans coming across the border looking for work, bullcrap! They are criminals trying to bring drugs, terrorism, and criminal activity to our country. What's a 16 year old doing at a gun fight anyway?
I feel sorry for the kid and his family, but hey, there should be and are consequences to being a drug smuggler, especially for thiose who violate international borders to do so. I'm sure the Mexicans don't see it that way, especially since our federal government does nothing but bend over backwards to make illegal immigrants feel welcome here. They probably see it as a big game. But we have borders for a reason.
"Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez" found out the hard way about those consequences.
By the way, those screaming for a "wall", remember, walls can work two ways - to keep people out, and to keep people in. Not a good idea folks.
We don't need walls. We have drones now.
When you choose a life of crime (drug smuggler) the usual result is either prison or death !!
For 16 year olds? The only other countries which support the death penalty for children are all Muslim.
Next time use a drone, thats acceptable.
Let's turn this around. What if Mexican authorities fired accross the border & hit a US teenager in the back 7 times? Would you be screaming for war? What if the kid was connected to drug trafficking? Or smuggling in illegals? What if he was Hispanic?
Basically, what do you consider acceptable criteria for shooting a kid in the back?
Anyone of them chucking rocks my way I am throwing lead back
If he was running dope? Tough shiite.
If he is fishing, I'd have a problem with it.
But it wouldn't be the Mexican authorities. It would be some Mexican drug gang protecting their "import"turf.
You neighbors will be so glad to hear that openmind. I hope they're well armed.
Ulysesses, are you aware that the only other countries which have the death penalty for children are all fundamentalist Muslim?
They are well armed. Have you not seen the stories of drug smugglers coming over to America and killing ranchers ? Where have you been hiding ? So maybe they should think twice before coming here illegally, selling drugs, and throwing rocks at our border patrol. Hell, they broke 3 laws in just that one night....but you think we should just say oh, it's ok, he's just a teenager. Get real !!
What if....
Rabbits carried guns, dogs would not chase them.
So much for your argument.
Mexico only shows anger when one of theirs is killed, but their authorities won't get up off their butts to even say "sorry" when one of our Border Patrols is killed!
Apologize to Mexico? Make an international scene over this? NOT ON YOUR LIFE!..or theirs...
I can't fart loud enough to express my apologies.
Just how many Border Patrol agents have been killed by the Mexican authorities? How about U.S. teenagers?
Nice try.
Musician
I would assume that since you asked the questions, you know the answers.
Enlighten me please since I am so misinformed.
None, zip, zero, nada! Certainly a lot of Americans have been killed by Mexican criminals, but this kid wasn't shot by U.S. criminals. He was shot by U.S. law enforcement officers.
Can you see the difference?
Sure but do I give a damn? No. He got what he asked for, the little rodent.
So you have no problem with killing children. Does the rest of your family know this?
Unfortunately, if they are breaking the law of this country and threatening law enforcement, the consequences are many including the potential for getting killed.
You may forget there are cultures that would strap 5 pounds of C4 on a kid and send him into a crowded marketplace. We aren't to that extreme here.
Yet.
Waite just one minuite. Mexico has machine guns set up at their southern border to keep people out. The Government of Mexico is so entrenched with the Cartel that using the word Law is a joke in Mexico. They want an investigation, yet they would balk and moan if ever their was an investigation of them.
Too many Mexican cops & soldiers have been killed by the cartels to validate your claim that the government is entrenched with a cartel.
Musician,
Right. I am sure the Mexican government is completely above board in its dealings with the drug cartels.
Hey, it's the U.S. government with all its laws against that handful of drugs on the controlled substances schedule. Who profits? Certainly not you or me.
Who loses? The governments where cartels have as much money as, say, Wall Street.
I'm all for legalizing weed. It's the meth, coke and smack that concern me.
sounds to me that the border patrol did exactly what they are supposed to do. Don't blame the United States because Mexico can not keep their people in order. Assault the US border.................die.
Cheer-Up folks.. Obama has already said that he has the right to kill anyone he wants ... Pretty soon you will be reading about people being Blown-Up...
You sound really ignorant and if that's the case, how about you move to Mexico.
The death of a teen is never a good thing. If his family gets a $$ settlement, it will only be taken from them by the cartel/corrupt government. Mexico is a narco state hellhole. You take your *(@# in your hands when you lurk around the border, day or night, either side. He used poor judgement and so did the border guard who fired the shots across the border.
The most used weapon in the history of man is the rock. The border patrolman was fighting back.
Boo Hoo.
GOOD!!!!!
Here comes the DRONES (doo doo doo doo)
Here comes the DRONES, and I say
It's all right...
Complements of Mr. Obama
Why was there only one killed? We need to send these agents back to the range. They should have swept the street
Stupid act deserves a stupid ending! That kid knows better than to be a drug runner, but the money is too good to pass up. His family now pays the price. One less mule!
Perhaps if you fixed your country they wouldn't be smuggling and getting shot for it.
A rock is a deadly weapon and capable of great harm via head trauma. The teen knowingly tried to harm a U.S. Agent and ultimately paid the price for his/her arrogance and stupidity. No one can predict outcomes but when you fully intend to break the law and fully intend to cause another harm you surrendur yourself to what ever may occur.
If the U.S. Govt is to blame it is for perhaps being too sparing in the return of deadly force in the past decades. These criminals, teen or other-wise, have assumed we will allow them to try and injure our law enforcement professionals without consequence. Thye have escalated their violence and methods forcing us to protect ourselves more aggressively. No one is to blame but the Mexican criminal who in this case happens to be a young criminal. Don't martyr a criminal just because of their youth.
That boy contributed to his own death. He should have stayed on his side of the fence. Coming into the US illegally #1 is BREAKING THE LAW! No one can tell me he didn't know what he was doing or what he was risking. He blew caution to the wind and did what he wanted to do, expecting no consequences for his actions. He gambled and he lost. I am no dumb a**. You won't find me playing around the border lines. I have common sense to stay away from a dangerous place like that and refuse to even entertain ideas that can get me hurt or killed. The bottom line is that the kid chose not to use his smarts and willingly engaged in a choice he knew was highly dangerous. Enough said.